Alternative for a few weeks between SBR cycles?

jasonheyd

So, I'm headed out of town for a bit around the holidays. Just finished a cycle of SBR but, if I start a new cycle next week, then I'll be losing a week right in the middle.

I'm thinking hitting a few weeks of a basic 5x5 and then starting up SBR after the week's break while I'm away.

Anyone go a similar route or have other suggestions?

pandorakick

Why don't you just start the next cycle, and after the holidays repeat the last week you did? This way you stay in the All Pro flow and only "lose" the one week you are actually away. Think that's what I would do.

sun_fish

^^^ That's what I was thinking, unless you want more of a break, then by all means do something different until you get back. I have the same thing coming up in February - I will be leaving for a week after week 2. I am already planning on just starting the cycle over, or as pandorakick suggested repeat the last week.

jasonheyd

Yeah, was thinking about that... I just hate repeating right in the middle of a cycle, which is where my break will hit. Not sure why but, when I break after the 3rd week, it really interrupts the flow and it never feels "right" when I get back to it, even if I repeat the week where I left off. Usually I end up restarting the cycle, so I figured maybe I'd just mix it up for a couple of weeks.

sun_fish

I totally get what you're saying, I was sort of obsessing about my upcoming break and trying to find a way to make it magically work out to the end of a cycle vs in the middle. The calendar just didn't cooperate, so I am going to accept it and like I said probably just start over when I get back . Since my trip is going to be an absolutely fabulous week in Belize, that sort of makes up for any All Pro inconvenience

Now that I think about it, your idea of mixing things up and doing something different is worth considering. Hmmmm....

paprad

I felt like a change too when I had to travel recently in the middle of a cycle. So I dug out some old moves from another workout I used to - and did them along with cardio. Interestingly, some of these were balancing moves - like that Teapot Tipper where you move up and down with a dumbbell in both hands , one leg goes up and down - and while the weight was easy (courtesy strength improvements in SBR), my balance was not so good and I teetered a lot - though I had been much better at it earlier. Also did much more ab work and stretches like the hip flexor stretch that Bret Contreras recommends. My body rather enjoyed the different moves. This little foray into other workouts has made me realize I should try other stuff in the middle as well, perhaps along with the cardio on non-SBR days. It did change my SBR cycle, though, I just repeated what I had done the previous week and carried on.

jasonheyd

Yeah, I need to get back to running. Aggravated my hip a while back, had to knock off the jogging for a while, and haven't been back except once or twice. Guess the cold weather's an excuse to get on the treadmill at least.

Decided to try a few weeks of Ice Cream 5x5 before jumping back to SBR after my travel. First workout was tonight... We'll see how I feel tomorrow. :-)

paprad

Saw these links in a post by Heybales that basically say that 1 set to fatigue compared to 3 sets saw equal or better strength gains, and more fat loss, in recreationally active lifters.

The volume gets a bit annoying in Week5 of the cycles, so I was wondering if it would be interesting to get a bit of a change by shifting to this method for a while - just one warmup set at 50%, then one set of 8/9/10/11/12 - and up the weight for this since there will be less fatigue,

Any thoughts?

http://www.hindawi.com/journals/bmri/2013/615901/

http://www.exrx.net/WeightTraining/LowVolumeTraining.html

jasonheyd

Any thoughts?

I don't know enough to offer an opinion one way or another, but it's certainly an interesting study.

I noticed that both the 1x and 3x groups were noted as "to fatigue" in the abstract, but after that it was a simple 1x6 or 3x6 with no mention of fatigue.... Wondering if I missed something?

Also makes me wonder how variable set routines & things like 5x5s stack up.

I'd actually just started a modified SBR a couple of weeks back to break things up a bit... Basically doing SBR as a 5x5 on heavy / medium days at 100% and 90% weight, then using the light day as a weekly deload with a 3x8 @ 75% weight (or bar), adding 5 lbs per week per exercise, with a 10% deload if I can't push the heavy day weight.

Not sure that's at all "kosher", but the 5x5 was murdering my joints & tendons.

I'm actually getting back to that tonight, after having to take a week or so off to nurse some work/ergonomics-related nerve issues. (Note to self: when the headset breaks, get a new one instead of walking around all day holding the phone to your ear.)